Le Luc En Provence

vers Secrets de village… Le Luc en Provence Cabasse 1 Place Pasteur 7 Le castellas 2 La Fontaine de l'Ormeau 8 La fontaine de la Galinesse 3 Place de la Convention 9 La chapelle Ste Anne 10 L'Eglise Notre Dame Le Luc en Provence 4 Maison de Jean Baptiste du Mont Carmel Apollinaire Le bas 11 L'ancienne maison Distance: 1,3 km l Start: Daudet car park 5 Locaux "Cercle Ravelet" des Andracs (Mairie) 6 La tour de l'horloge. 12 Le château des Vintimille A8 A stroll through the old town of Vieux-Luc reminds us of the Moyen âge XVI-XVIIème XVIII-XIXème XXème Mairie eventful, sometimes cruel history that shaped this administra- vers tive centre: a seigneury from the 11th century, a town where Flassans-sur- 7 Issole protestants could freely practise their religion, and a well-known 6 8 thermal spa in 1900. Rue Rue Combes 9 1 Place Pasteur: the so- Rue V. Hugo de la 10 called hexagonal tower was 5 Place built between 1517 and 1546. P de la République Liberté 11 It is 27 metres high, and has 4 three floors connected by an internal staircase. The top 3 12 floor has six tall, narrow semi- circular bay windows. There P Parking are gargoyles at the end of Daudet DN7 each entablature. This was an 2 vers early watchtower, giving war- Le Cannet-des- ning of any dangers from the N Maures east. The priory of St Pierre P adjoining the tower is belie- Parking 1 vers Combaluzier Les Mayons ved to date from the 13th 0 50 100m. century. It is of architectural Gonfaron interest due to its oven-vaulted apse and its flat chevet (which can be seen from the Alphonse Daudet school). A larger church was annexed 8 La fontaine de la Galinesse: believed to be the oldest fountain to the Romanesque priory in 1658, using the older building as its tran- built from a spring in Le Luc, with its running-water lavoir or washing sept. This was destroyed in the 19th century, leaving only a section of place. The Galinesse stream caused dramatic floods on 4 October 1924 wall with two engaged columns. and 15 June 2010. There are springs flowing near the lavoir. 2 La fontaine de l’Ormeau: a substantial financial contribution was 9 La chapelle Ste Ann : the chapel dates from 1662. required from the village so that this fountain could be built in 1828. 10 L’église Notre Dame du Mont Carmel: a church built in the 15th 3 Place de la Convention: the courtyard of the Château des Vinti- century. In Provençal Gothic style, it contains beautiful works of art in- mille. cluding an empire-style organ and a superb pulpit carved in walnut. It was the scene of the massacre in April 1590 by members of the Baron 4 The house of Jean Baptiste Apollinaire Le bas (no.30): born in Luc in 1797, he is credited with bringing the Place de la Concorde obe- d’Ampus’s Catholic league of women, children and elderly people who lisk to Paris from Luxor in Egypt. had taken refuge there. 11 La Mairie : the town hall was formerly the home of the Andracs 5 Place Ravelet: the premises of the Ravelet circle where on 2 De- cember 1851 the decision was made to take up arms against Napoléon family. The curious history of the Andracs began after the fall of the 1st III’s coup d’état. empire, in July 1815. The family’s ancestor, Charles Truc, owned a coachi- ng inn where the Marshal of the Empire, Guillaume Brune, took refuge. 6 La tour de l'horloge: the clock tower marks the location of the It seems that the Marshal left a trunk under guard there, containing his portcullis gate that allowed access to the castrum between the 12th riches. He was assassinated in Avignon on his way to the capital, and no and the 15th centuries. It is presumed to have been enhanced in the one came to collect the trunk. It is said that this trunk made the Andracs 16th century, when it became a belfry and the clock was attached to a wealthy family during the 19th century. The story goes that Charles it. A wrought-iron bell tower was placed on the top in the 17th cen- Truc knew what was in the trunk... and who the assassins were. Howe- tury. The stone house set against the tower contained the town hall. It ver, he never told the soldier’s widow about this fabulous treasure. was besieged by the rebels in the coup d’état on 3 December 1851: the 12 Le château des Vintimille: the Vintimille family ruled over the land of municipal council was dissolved and replaced by a temporary commit- Le Luc from 1600 to 1789. Construction of the castle began in around 1600. tee, and a new mayor was elected. The village was taken over by the The current buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th national forces on 8 December. The ground floor contains the remains century, a military hospital was established there, followed by a religious of a former prison. school, and then some parts were converted into apartments. It was res- 7 Le castellas: the ruins of the medieval village are visible beneath tored in 1980, only the classical façade remaining intact. The castle houses the vegetation. Its stepped alleys wind their way to the top of the hill the regional stamp museum, and the Centre-Var historical museum. Its where the lord’s residence was sited, known as the château des Mascs gardens were redeveloped following Le Nôtre’s plans, and were filled with after the night birds that nested in its granaries. The last remnants were rare species such as a Ginkgo Biloba, the sacred tree of China, planted in destroyed in 1971 when the motorway was built. An underground pas- 1900 by Admiral Giraud and still visible from the Daudet car park. sage connected the castle to the parish church, built ‘outside the walls’ on the plain. Le Castellas has been restored, so take the opportunity Tél. 04.98.10.43.59. Fax. 04.94.99.56.75 Cœur to explore the stairways and cobbled paths leading through the old Email : [email protected] du Var Site web : www.coeurduvartourisme.com TOURISME village from the clock tower..

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